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Existing challenges in surgical education (See one, do one, teach one) as well as the COVID-19 pandemic make it necessary to develop new ways for surgical training. Therefore, this work describes the implementation of a scalable remote solution called "TeleSTAR" using immersive, interactive and augmented reality elements which enhances surgical training in the operating room. The system uses a full digital surgical microscope in the context of Ear–Nose–Throat surgery. The microscope is equipped with a modular software augmented reality interface consisting an interactive annotation mode to mark anatomical landmarks using a touch device, an experimental intraoperative image-based stereo-spectral algorithm unit to measure anatomical details and highlight tissue characteristics. The new educational tool was evaluated and tested during the broadcast of three live XR-based three-dimensional cochlear implant surgeries. The system was able to scale to five different remote locations in parallel with low latency and offering a separate two-dimensional YouTube stream with a higher latency. In total more than 150 persons were trained including healthcare professionals, biomedical engineers and medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of virtual reality (VR) in hospitality and tourism marketing has raised questions about this technology’s utility in creating positive destination perceptions and visit intentions. This research draws upon stimulus – organism – response (SOR) theory and the information system (IS) success model. It specifically assesses how VR travel quality (i.e. content quality, system quality, and vividness [stimulus]) affects customers’ psychological experiences, as represented by telepresence, immersion, and enjoyment (organism), and visit intention (response). Data from an online survey informed the assembly of a quality-based framework for VR travel experiences. Results revealed significant positive impacts of content quality, system quality, and vividness on telepresence and immersion; however, content quality did not significantly affect immersion. Positive relationships also emerged between telepresence, immersion, and enjoyment, with the role of immersion influencing enjoyment more strongly than telepresence. Enhanced enjoyment significantly increased intentions to visit the destination. This study provides practical implications for destination marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes the concept of anticipated affordances as an analytical supplement to affordance theory. 'Anticipated affordances' refers to how actors anticipate or speculate on a technology's affordances before they have any direct use experience with it. To demonstrate the consequences of such speculation on the social life of new technologies, the article analyses why teachers in Norwegian schools have expressed scepticism towards AV1: a telepresence robot meant to reconnect 'homebound' children with their school. Drawing on qualitative interviews, the article finds that teachers anticipated three undesirable affordances from having AV1 in their classrooms: peeping, broadcasting, and parental auditing. The article also discusses how these anticipations intersected with issues of domestication, gatekeeping and experiences of AV1's actual affordances. In sum, the article advances anticipated affordances as a central topic of inquiry for new media studies, which can complement existing analytical foci and shed new light on the (non)adoption of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social robots in our daily surroundings, like personal guides, waiter robots, home helpers, assistive robots, and telepresence/teleoperation robots, are increasing day by day. Their usability and acceptability largely depend on their explicit and implicit interaction capability with fellow human beings. As a result, social behavior is one of the most sought-after qualities that a robot can possess. However, there is no specific aspect and/or feature that defines socially acceptable behavior, and it largely depends on the situation, application, and society. In this article, we investigate one such social behavior for collocated robots. Imagine a group of people is interacting with each other, and we want to join the group. We as human beings do it in a socially acceptable manner, i.e., within the group, we do position ourselves in such a way that we can participate in the group activity without disturbing/obstructing anybody. To possess such a quality, first, a robot needs to determine the formation of the group and then determine a position for itself, which we humans do implicitly. There are many theories which study group formations and proxemics; one such theory is f-formation which could be utilized for this purpose. As the types of formations can be very diverse, detecting the social groups is not a trivial task. In this article, we provide a comprehensive survey of the existing work on social interaction and group detection using f-formation for robotics and other applications. We also put forward a novel holistic survey framework combining some of the possibly more important concerns and modules relevant to this problem. We define taxonomies based on methods, camera views, datasets, detection capabilities and scale, evaluation approaches, and application areas. We discuss certain open challenges and limitations in the current literature along with possible future research directions based on this framework. In particular, we discuss the existing methods/techniques and their relative merits and demerits, applications, and provide a set of unsolved but relevant problems in this domain. The official website for this work is available at: https://github.com/HrishavBakulBarua/Social-Robots-F-formation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce VOODOO XP: a 3D-aware one-shot head reenactment method that can generate highly expressive facial expressions driven by an input video from a single 2D portrait. Our approach is real-time, view-consistent, and can be instantly used without calibration or fine-tuning. We demonstrate our solution in a monocular video setting and an end-to-end VR telepresence system for two-way communication. Compared to 2D head reenactment methods, 3D-aware approaches aim to preserve the identity of the subject and ensure view-consistent facial geometry for novel camera poses, which makes them suitable for immersive applications. While various facial disentanglement techniques have been introduced, cutting-edge 3D-aware neural reenactment techniques still lack expressiveness and fail to reproduce complex and fine-scale facial expressions. We present a novel cross-reenactment architecture that directly transfers the driver's facial expressions to transformer blocks of the input source's 3D lifting module. We show that highly effective disentanglement is possible using a new multi-stage self-supervision approach. It relies on a coarse-to-fine training strategy, which is combined with explicit face neutralization and 3D lifted frontalization during its initial training stage. We further integrate our novel head reenactment solution into an accessible high-fidelity VR telepresence system, where any person can instantly build a personalized neural head avatar from any photo and bring it to life using the headset. Furthermore, our proposed method demonstrates state-of-the-art expressiveness and likeness preservation on diverse subjects and capture conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head-mounted mixed reality interfaces, in which a user perceives a seamless blend of real, virtual or remote content, have great potential in a wide range of educational contexts. In this paper, we explore the use of mixed reality (MR) in piano education. We begin with a review of previous examples of virtual and mixed reality for piano teaching and learning, identifying four major categories of functionality: remote teaching, learning to read musical notation, providing alternative notation systems to Western musical notation, and enhancing users' understanding and experience of music. Following this review, we present an application designed to demonstrate the use of MR for facilitating remote student-teacher piano lessons. Additionally, hand-tracking enables real-time, bi-directional visualization of both the student's and teacher's hand movements while playing, which is a crucial communication channel in piano instruction. We also present the Piano Theory Hub, an interactive area for independent learning and practice designed to compliment remote instructions. The Piano Theory Hub uses MR to provide spatial in situ explanations and exercises on notes, intervals, scales, and chords. User studies were conducted to evaluate both remote and solo aspects of the application. The first study with 10 participants revealed a strong sense of immersion and co-presence with the teacher during remote lessons. Trials also revealed that, in addition to virtual hands, visual highlighting of key-presses was found to improve visualisation of the remote users' play. The second study, with 15 participants found the Piano Theory Hub to be helpful for beginners and some intermediate players, with feedback suggesting improvements in user experience and highlighting the limitations of replacing traditional piano teachers. Our experiments demonstrate that MR can be successfully employed for the following strategies for piano education: hand interaction coaching, flexible virtual hand and piano visibility, augmented feedback including key highlighting, gamified learning elements, and flexible teacher positioning options. Overall, the findings suggest that mixed reality holds promise as an effective tool for remote piano learning and music education, offering immersive and engaging learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) How do features of sports and fitness live streaming content influence individuals' viewing experiences? (2) How do these antecedents interact with each other to influence individuals' intentions to exercise in the context of sports and fitness live streaming? Design/methodology/approach: We employed both symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric (fsQCA) analyses using data from 886 participants. A mixed approach addresses the complex nature of the decision-making process among sports and fitness live streaming users. Findings: The findings reveal that individuals' appraisal of their interactions with sports and fitness streamers (i.e. instant feedback, interactivity) significantly affects their perceptions of telepresence, entertainment, and flow. These, in turn, positively influence their intention to exercise in live sports and fitness streaming sessions. The study also uncovers various combinations of causal conditions leading to exercise intention, a detail overlooked by the PLS-SEM method alone. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on cognitive appraisal theory, particularly in the context of sports and fitness live streaming, by integrating symmetric and asymmetric analyses. Practically, strategic implications are provided for practitioners in sports and fitness industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While virtual reality tourism can stimulate positive emotions in tourists, the impact of these emotions on tourist participation, value co-creation processes, and the role of awe in tourism remain largely unexplored. This study is the first to explore the antecedents of co-creation in virtual reality tourism and reveal the role of awe in shaping co-creation. It investigated how awe induced by virtual scenic attractions can enhance tourists' experience and collaborative participation. An online survey utilizing the "Zhangjiajie Planet" XR metaverse platform served as the research stimulus. Data analysis was conducted on 556 valid responses collected from the survey, employing SPSS and AMOS for statistical evaluation. Awe was directly related to value co-creation and indirectly affected value co-creation through telepresence and content attachment. The findings highlight the importance of considering awe as a critical experiential component in the development of virtual tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study argues that the eSports live streaming viewers have a triple identity. It aims to investigate how eSports live streaming can turn streamers into consumers and potential eSports tourists from the aspect of viewer psychology and behavioral intentions. Based on 776 valid online questionnaires from eSports live streaming viewers, we use Stimulus‐Organism‐Response (SOR) theory to identify how their watching experience is influenced and what their behavior towards gifting streamers and purchasing tickets for offline eSports is. Using SmartPLS 4.0 to analyze causal relationships among variables, the research affirms that four specific live streaming stimuli positively affect telepresence and immersion, leading to increased gifting and purchase intentions. This article thus elucidates the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of eSports live streaming viewers, shedding light on their transition process into consumers and potential eSports tourists. The results provide valuable insights for eSports live streaming operators and demonstrate their contribution to eSports tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the computers as social actors (CASA) theory, this study aims to explore the impact of three characteristics of virtual influencers (conversational tone, autonomy and responsiveness) on social presence, telepresence and customer engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Using the purposive sampling technique, online survey was administered to Chinese Gen-Z consumers engaging with virtual influencers. Subsequently, 357 respondents were sampled. SPSS 29.0 and Smart PLS 4.0 were used to perform the analyses. Findings: The results show that conversational tone and responsiveness have significant positive effects on both social presence and telepresence. Autonomy has a positive effect on telepresence, but not social presence. Social presence and telepresence have a positive impact on customer engagement. Originality/value: As a burgeoning field, there is still uncertainty among both practitioners and researchers about the methods that virtual influencers engage their users in the context of social media. Limited research has focused on presence (social presence and telepresence) due to virtual influencers. Therefore, the CASA theory offers valuable insights into how virtual influencers' characteristics contribute to the presence and customer engagement and provides practical guidance for the design of virtual influencers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of a rapidly aging population and the increasing prevalence of dementia among older adults, technological solutions are increasingly being considered to facilitate caregiving. This research investigates the perspectives of 20 caregiving dyads on VGo, a telepresence social robot with features designed to support caregiving. Care recipients (CRs), aged 65 and older, diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, along with their primary caregivers (CGs), evaluated the robot through an online interview study. The interviews integrated informative videos showcasing VGo's features and functions. Insights from the interviews revealed diverse expectations, interests, and reservations. The majority of CGs and their CRs perceived the robot's features as beneficial. In particular, the voice command capability was appreciated as an alternative to using smartphones and as a way to manage home appliances. The community feature, however, did not align well with many participants' lifestyles, and participants had a number of suggestions to enhance the robot's notification function. Based on the interview results, the study offers a set of design recommendations for telepresence social robots in home caregiving contexts. This investigation highlights the promise of social robots in caregiving contexts and underscores the need for further improvements to ensure they fit users' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting sea-going ocean science no longer needs to be limited to the number of berths on a ship given that telecommunications, computing, and networking technologies onboard ships have become familiar mechanisms for expanding scientists' reach from onshore. The oceanographic community routinely works with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and pilots to access real-time video and data from the deep sea, while onboard a ship. The extension of using an ROV and its host vessel's live-streaming capabilities has been popularized for almost 3 decades as a telepresence technology. Telepresence-enabled vessels with ROVs have been employed for science, education, and outreach, giving a greater number of communities viewing access to ocean science. However, the slower development of technologies and social processes enabling sustained real-time involvement between scientists on-ship and onshore undermines the potential for broader access, which limits the possibility of increasing inclusivity and discoveries through a diversity of knowledge and capabilities. This article reviews ocean scientists' use of telepresence for ROV-based deep-sea research and funded studies of telepresence capabilities. The authors summarize these studies findings and conditions that lead to defining the use of telepresence-enabled vessels for "remote science at sea." Authors define remote science at sea as a type of ocean expedition, an additional capability, not a replacement for all practices by which scientists conduct ocean research. Remote science for ocean research is an expedition at-sea directed by a distributed science team working together from at least two locations (on-ship and onshore) to complete their science objectives for which primary data is acquired by robotic technologies, with connectivity supported by a high-bandwidth satellite and the telepresence-enabled ship's technologies to support the science team actively engaged before, during, and after dives across worksites. The growth of productive ocean expeditions with remote science is met with social, technical, and logistical challenges that impede the ability of remote scientists to succeed. In this article, authors review telepresence-enabled ocean science, define and situate the adjoined model of remote science at sea, and some infrastructural, technological and social considerations for conducting and further developing remote science at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine how the telepresence of tourists using immersive technology affects responsible travel behaviour at natural heritage sites by exploring the role of feelings. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposed a conceptual model that was empirically tested. Data was collected through online and offline surveys from 672 respondents who used AR/VR while visiting the natural heritage sites. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings: The findings of this study highlight how feelings are processed as information when tourists are exposed to immersive technologies. These feelings, in addition to perceived value and destination attractiveness, affect responsible travel behaviour. Research limitations/implications: This study adds to the literature by offering insights concerning the tourists' feelings related to responsible travel that can be evoked by getting involved in the virtual worlds. The findings suggest how managers can use immersive technology-based campaigns to promote responsible travel at natural heritage sites. Originality/value: The literature does not elucidate the role of feelings and its dimensions (emotions and metacognitive experience) in explaining the effect of immersive technology in evoking responsible travel behaviour in the context of tourism. The current study addresses this gap and extends prior research by theorizing that feelings-as-information is the missing link between why tourists behave in a certain way, given a specific immersive stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global scientific exchange has been profoundly perturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, altering user travel behaviours and accelerating the use of remote access. Combined with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), these trends together can change how large-scale user scientific facilities are used by the community and managed by operators.

Advancements in educational technology have increased opportunity and access for students who wish to pursue doctoral education through a variety of delivery options and have resulted in increased enrollments in doctoral programs over the past decade. However, doctoral retention and graduation rates remain dismal. Online and asynchronous programs can be isolating and unmotivating for students while in-person and synchronous programs do not allow the flexibility that working adults often need. To address this tension, the authors studied a doctoral program that utilized telepresence robots for distance learning in a synchronous hybrid learning environment. This phenomenological research used survey and focus groups to study both student and faculty perceptions of and experiences learning and teaching with telepresence robots in a synchronous hybrid environment. The study found that, while there were frequent interruptions to student learning due to technology issues, both in-person and distance learners were able to develop high levels of social presence due to a cohort model and residency requirements. Overall, students expressed high levels of satisfaction with this program model. However, faculty who taught in the program were largely unknowledgeable about telepresence technology when they began teaching in the program and did not develop pedagogies or praxis specific to telepresence robots or the synchronous hybrid environment. Recommendations include experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty using telepresence robots to improve instruction as well as the overall learning experience for the distance learners and professional development and support for faculty as they develop new pedagogy and praxis appropriate for this learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We envision a telepresence system that enhances remote work by facilitating both physical and immersive visual interactions between individuals. However, during robot teleoperation, communication often lacks realism, as users see the robot's body rather than the remote individual. To address this, we propose a method for overlaying a digital human model onto a humanoid robot using XR visualization, enabling an immersive 3D telepresence experience. Our approach employs a learning-based method to estimate the 2D poses of the humanoid robot from head-worn stereo views, leveraging a newly collected dataset of full-body poses for humanoid robots. The stereo 2D poses and sparse inertial measurements from the remote operator are optimized to compute 3D poses over time. The digital human is localized from the perspective of a continuously moving observer, utilizing the estimated 3D pose of the humanoid robot. Our moving camera-based pose estimation method does not rely on any markers or external knowledge of the robot's status, effectively overcoming challenges such as marker occlusion, calibration issues, and dependencies on headset tracking errors. We demonstrate the system in a remote physical training scenario, achieving real-time performance at 40 fps, which enables simultaneous immersive and physical interactions. Experimental results show that our learning-based 3D pose estimation method, which operates without prior knowledge of the robot, significantly outperforms alternative approaches requiring the robot's global pose, particularly during rapid headset movements, achieving markerless digital human augmentation from head-worn views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of heritage sites through digital technology is an increasingly important topic for researchers and practitioners. Drawing upon telepresence theory, this study explores how a visitor's destination image is formed and its impact on satisfaction in a virtual heritage site experience. The survey results show that telepresence, cognitive image, affective image, and satisfaction are positively correlated. Furthermore, the relationship between telepresence and satisfaction was mediated by the destination image in the virtual heritage site experience. This research extends telepresence theory by testing its impact on destination image in a virtual tourism experience as well as providing some meaningful practical insights for heritage site marketing managers on virtual heritage experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-form video applications (SFV apps) provide an ideal channel for promoting rural tourism. Based on the elaboration likelihood model, this study integrated guanxi, telepresence, destination image, and tourism fatigue to investigate the factors affecting user intentions to travel to rural tourism destinations in the context of SFV apps. Through the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the theoretical framework was examined using data collected from 445 SFV app users. The SEM findings revealed that guanxi could directly affect argument quality and source credibility, which further strengthened destination image and telepresence; the travel intention could be affected by destination image and telepresence without guanxi. Also, tourism fatigue played three roles in the formation of travel intention. Additionally, the results of fsQCA illustrated three configurations leading to high and low intention to visit rural tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article advances domestication theory by developing the concept of multi-site domestication. Whereas domestication theory traditionally focuses on the 'taming' of technologies at a single site (most often, the household), the concept of multi-site domestication captures how technologies often require different taming processes across multiple institutional settings. In this article, we apply the concept to understand the multi-site domestication of AV1: a communication solution for children who are homebound because of chronic illness or disabilities, which creates a communicative bridge from an app on the homebound student's phone/tablet and to a 'telepresence robot' that is placed physically in the classroom, where it is meant to function as the homebound student's proxy. Using data from a larger qualitative study of the implementation of AV1 in Norway, the article shows how the 'traditional' domestication processes of appropriation, objectification, incorporation, and conversion play out and are complicated when domestication occurs across settings with different and at times opposing norms, rules, values, and logics. In charting these multi-site dynamics, the article updates domestication theory for an age of increasingly intertwined technologies, thus helping future studies to look beyond single sites and appreciate more complex taming processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore telerobotics as a novel form of intergroup communication. In this form, remotely operated robots facilitate embodied and situated intergroup contact between groups in conflict over long distances, potentially reducing prejudice and promoting positive social change. Based on previous conceptual frameworks and design hypotheses, we conducted a survey on the acceptance and preferences of the telerobotic medium in Israel and Palestine. We analyzed the responses using a mixed-method approach. The results shed light on differences in attitudes between the groups and design considerations for telerobots when used for intergroup contact. This study serves as a foundation for the implementation of a novel method of technology-enhanced conflict resolution in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase in popularity of volumetric representations for scene reconstruction and novel view synthesis has put renewed focus on animating volumetric content at high visual quality and in real‐time. While implicit deformation methods based on learned functions can produce impressive results, they are 'black boxes' to artists and content creators, they require large amounts of training data to generalize meaningfully, and they do not produce realistic extrapolations outside of this data. In this work, we solve these issues by introducing a volume deformation method which is real‐time even for complex deformations, easy to edit with off‐the‐shelf software and can extrapolate convincingly. To demonstrate the versatility of our method, we apply it in two scenarios: physics‐based object deformation and telepresence where avatars are controlled using blendshapes. We also perform thorough experiments showing that our method compares favourably to both volumetric approaches combined with implicit deformation and methods based on mesh deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a controlled lab experiment, we compared how in-person and robot-mediated communicative settings affected attitudes towards communicators and discourse phenomena related to conversational negotiation. We used a mock interview within-participants experiment design where each participant (mock interviewee) experienced both types of communication with the same experimenter (mock interviewer). Despite communicating with the same person, participants found the in-person interviewer to be more likable, more capable, more intelligent, more polite, more in control, and less awkward than the same person using a telepresence robot. Behaviorally, we did not detect differences in participants' productions of discourse phenomena (likes, you knows, ums, uhs), laughter, or gaze. We also tested the role of communicative expectations on attitudes towards communications. We primed participants to expect that they would be talking to a person via telepresence, a "disabled" robot-person combination using telepresence, or a person in person (between-participants). We did not find differences arising from people's expectations of the communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article leverages existing literature around the use of telepresence robots to provide a conceptualisation of virtual inclusion. Telepresence involves the use of mediating technology to generate connection with others in a remote context. Recent developments have seen telepresence robots used to create a sense of 'being there' when the person's physical presence is not possible. Telepresence robots can provide children with the capability to maintain an embodied experience in schooling locations when they are absent due to chronic illness. Through building their knowledge of integrating this technology into their pedagogy, teachers can support students to engage in classroom activities through real-time virtual communication. The article extends what is known about how telepresence robots can be used for virtual inclusion and what the challenges and considerations are for the use of telepresence robots in schools. Technological, physical, social and pedagogical aspects of telepresence robots use for virtual inclusion are detailed with heuristic for introducing them into schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people with long-term conditions (LTCs) often experience prolonged school absences. School absenteeism can adversely affect home or hospital-bound (HHB) young people's wellbeing and subsequent re-entry to school. Social connectedness through technology, especially for young people, is a burgeoning area of international research. However, connectedness through technology for HHB young people only recently gained traction. Using an integrative literature synthesis methodology, we examine the literature on connectedness through technological initiatives for HHB young people with LTCs. Results indicate potential for virtual-inclusion initiatives to enable academic and social connections but highlight the invisibility of HHB young people with LTCs in inclusive education policies. We argue that support for virtual initiatives and increased visibility of HHB young people with LTCs in inclusive education policies will enhance classroom belonging and disrupt experiences of isolation resulting in social and academic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing popularity of e‐commerce live streaming (ECLS), research development in the hospitality and tourism field lags. Drawing on social impact theory, this study aims to investigate the effects of streamers' personal brand equity (strength) and the live‐streaming broadcasting environment (immediacy) on viewers' tourism product purchase intention. This research developed three experimental studies to examine the causal link between live‐streaming features (i.e., the interactive effect of streamers' personal brand equity and telepresence) and customer responses. The results showed that the interactions between different levels of personal brand equity and telepresence significantly impact positive outcomes related to tourists' behavior and decision‐making. This study contributed to the literature and practices by enhancing the understanding of ECLS as a newly emerging marketing tool in the tourism industry. The findings would encourage more hospitality and tourism companies to leverage ECLS as a new marketing campaign strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents ‘Teledrive’, a telepresence robotic system with embodied AI features that empowers an operator to navigate the telerobot in any unknown remote place with minimal human intervention. We conceive Teledrive in the context of democratizing remote ‘care-giving’ for elderly citizens as well as for isolated patients, affected by contagious diseases. In particular, this paper focuses on the problem of navigating to a rough target area (like ‘bedroom’ or ‘kitchen’) rather than pre-specified point destinations. This ushers in a unique ‘AreaGoal’ based navigation feature, which has not been explored in depth in the contemporary solutions. Further, we describe an edge computing-based software system built on a WebRTC-based communication framework to realize the aforementioned scheme through an easy-to-use speech-based human-robot interaction. Moreover, to enhance the ease of operation for the remote caregiver, we incorporate a ‘person following’ feature, whereby a robot follows a person on the move in its premises as directed by the operator. Moreover, the system presented is loosely coupled with specific robot hardware, unlike the existing solutions. We have evaluated the efficacy of the proposed system through baseline experiments, user study, and real-life deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this contribution is to analyse the Mascarilla 19 project, which premiered at the Italian film and contemporary art festival 'Lo schermo dell'arte' in 2020. The project was commissioned and produced by In Between Art Film, Beatrice Bulgari's production company, and curated by Leonardo Bigazzi, Alessandro Rabottini and Paola Ugolini. In Spain, 'Mascarilla 19' served as a codeword used by women victims of domestic violence in grocery shops or pharmacies to denounce abuse. This project consists of eight films that explore the 'emergency within the emergency' of domestic violence, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A key focus of Mascarilla 19 is the transformation of the domestic space into a closed circuit of surveillance, both as self-surveillance (accomplished through the re-mediation of faces and gestures in video conference platforms) and as constant exposure to the mediated and disciplining gaze of screens, that embody a new male media gaze. Accordingly, this article aims to examine the capacity of pandemic media to reshape affective networks and produce physical and psychological violence, especially in the framework of patriarchal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with cancer experience recurring hospitalizations and isolation during treatment, which affect their school attendance. This study explores experiences of children with cancer, their classmates, and teachers with using the telepresence robot as a learning mediator in the hybrid classroom during treatment periods. 31 children with cancer (aged 7–17 years), 30 teachers, and 118 classmates participated in interviews and 19 h of participant observations were undertaken in nine classrooms. The Agential Realism Theory and Situational Analysis framed the data analysis. There was a single overarching theme, "Telepresence robot didactic," and five sub-themes (Telepresence mediated learning, school-home collaboration, hybrid robot teaching, intra-actions in class, and inclusive spatiality). This study advocates the complexity of telepresence robot didactics, emphasizing that numerous human and other factors must intra-act and work simultaneously to achieve optimal learning conditions for children during cancer treatment. This includes considerations such as modality availability for the remote child; the teacher's understanding of telepresence robot didactic and hybrid learning; the classmate's ability to involve the remote child in groupwork; the child's own treatment protocol, the robot's functionalities, and spatiality in the class. Strategies for use and the systematic surveillance of telepresence robots are needed to ensure that children during cancer treatment do not lag in academic achievement. This study proposes that children with cancer can continue participating in class while hospitalized or isolated and consequently reduce social and academic setbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We implemented an online visitation system named “telepresence” in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for family members at home to communicate with their babies in real-time using video and audio. This study evaluated the impact of this system on families and medical staff. Methods: Nineteen families of babies admitted to the NICU between 2022 and 2023 and 65 medical staff participated. Each family experienced two weeks of virtual visits. Changes in parental depression and attachment were assessed. Result: Before and after telepresence, the median Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score reduced from 6 to 4 (p = 0.026), and the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale score showed a decreasing trend, with both medians at 2 (p = 0.057). Eighty-nine percent of the parents and 97% of staff reported that telepresence did not increase parental stress, and 88% of parents felt positive changes in their baby's siblings. All parents wanted to visit their babies in person after seeing them on camera. Conclusion: Telepresence improved parental mental health, reduced family distress, and supported connection with their infants, making them eager to visit in person. Innovations: This technology potentially make parents want to visit more by helping them feel more connected to their infants.

Head-mounted mixed reality interfaces, in which a user perceives a seamless blend of real, virtual or remote content, have great potential in a wide range of educational contexts. In this paper, we explore the use of mixed reality (MR) in piano education. We begin with a review of previous examples of virtual and mixed reality for piano teaching and learning, identifying four major categories of functionality: remote teaching, learning to read musical notation, providing alternative notation systems to Western musical notation, and enhancing users’ understanding and experience of music. Following this review, we present an application designed to demonstrate the use of MR for facilitating remote student-teacher piano lessons. Additionally, hand-tracking enables real-time, bi-directional visualization of both the student’s and teacher’s hand movements while playing, which is a crucial communication channel in piano instruction. We also present the Piano Theory Hub, an interactive area for independent learning and practice designed to compliment remote instructions. The Piano Theory Hub uses MR to provide spatial in situ explanations and exercises on notes, intervals, scales, and chords. User studies were conducted to evaluate both remote and solo aspects of the application. The first study with 10 participants revealed a strong sense of immersion and co-presence with the teacher during remote lessons. Trials also revealed that, in addition to virtual hands, visual highlighting of key-presses was found to improve visualisation of the remote users’ play. The second study, with 15 participants found the Piano Theory Hub to be helpful for beginners and some intermediate players, with feedback suggesting improvements in user experience and highlighting the limitations of replacing traditional piano teachers. Our experiments demonstrate that MR can be successfully employed for the following strategies for piano education: hand interaction coaching, flexible virtual hand and piano visibility, augmented feedback including key highlighting, gamified learning elements, and flexible teacher positioning options. Overall, the findings suggest that mixed reality holds promise as an effective tool for remote piano learning and music education, offering immersive and engaging learning experiences.

This paper discusses the development of artistic collaboration during the global lockdown, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The art work under study involves the author’s practices of ecological sound art and intercultural collaboration in collaboration with Canadian composer and improviser John Oliver. A primary outcome of this work was the album Isolation Journal, released in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. One feature of Isolation Journal was how it revisited site-specific recordings made in Vietnam, on the countryside north of Hanoi, for an installation made by Östersjö in collaboration with Nguyễn Thanh Thủy and Matthew Sansom [Östersjö, Stefan, and Thanh Thủy Nguyễn. 2016. “The Sounds of Hanoi and the After-Image of the Homeland.” Journal of Sonic Studies 12. https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/246523/246546]. Through remote interactions, and by building a complex sampler instrument using Östersjö's recordings of Aeolian đàn đáy, a traditional Vietnamese lute, as well as field recordings from the site, Oliver and Östersjö created the album Isolation Journal through remote interaction. This in turn became a fundamental building block when the author's Vietnamese/Swedish group The Six Tones took the initiative to develop a scene for telematic performance at Manzi Art Space in Hanoi. This series started out with a concert with John Oliver, The Six Tones and guest performers from Hanoi in July 2020. Building on audio and video documentation, as well as on qualitative interviews with the participating co-performers, an analysis of the emergence of discursive voice [Gorton, David, and Stefan Östersjö. 2019. “Austerity Measures I: Performing the Discursive Voice.” In Voices, Bodies, Practices: Performing Musical Subjectivities, edited by Catherine Laws, William Brooks, David Gorton, Nguyễn Thanh Thủy, Stefan Östersjö, and Jeremy J. Wells, 29–79. Orpheus Institute Series. Leuven: Leuven University Press] is drawn from these two internally linked artistic projects. The paper develops the analytical framework of tele-copresence, a synthesis of the contrasting concepts of telepresence and copresence, as a means for analysing the virtual presence which emerges through such remote musical interaction.  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have been introduced to neurosurgery with the goal of improving the experience of human visualization. In recent years, the application of remote AR and VR has opened new horizons for neurosurgical collaboration across diverse domains of education and patient treatment. Herein, we aimed to systematically review the literature about the feasibility of this technology and discuss the technical aspects, current limitations, and future perspectives. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 4 databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) were queried for articles discussing the use of remote AR and VR technologies in neurosurgery. Data were collected in various fields, including surgery type, application type, subspecialty, software and hardware descriptions, haptic device utilization, visualization technology, internet connection, remote site descriptions, technical outcomes, and limitations. Data were summarized as counts and proportions and analyzed using IBM SPSS software. Our search strategy generated 466 records, out of which 9 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. The majority of AR and VR applications were used in cranial procedures (77.8%), mainly in education (63.6%), followed by telesurgical assistance (18.2%), patient monitoring (9.1%), and surgical planning (9.1%). Local collaborations were established in 55.6% of the studies, while national and international partnerships were formed in 44.4% of the studies. AR was the main visualization technology, and 3G internet connection was predominantly used (27.5%). All studies subjectively reported the utility of remote AR and VR for real-time interaction. The major technical challenges and limitations included audiovisual latency, the requirement for higher-fidelity and resolution image reconstructions, and the level of proficiency of the patient with the software. The results from this systematic review suggest that AR and VR technologies are dynamically advancing to offer remote collaboration in neurosurgery. Although still incipient in development and with an imperative need for technical improvement, remote AR and VR hold a frontierless potential for patient monitoring, neurosurgical education, and long-distance surgical assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored how a virtual reality (VR) public service announcement (PSA) in a first-person perspective (vs non-VR PSA scripts: first-person perspective-taking, non-perspective-taking) impacted attitudes toward the PSA and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Participants first reported their attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Seven days later, participants watched or read a PSA about the life of a person experiencing homelessness and reported their attitudes toward the people experiencing homelessness and the PSA. We explored how psychological processes (telepresence, empathy, reactance) related to persuasion. Results showed viewing or reading any of the PSAs led to more favorable attitudes toward the target group. The VR PSA was the most likely format to induce telepresence and empathy and the least likely to induce reactance. Attitudes toward the VR PSA were more positive than toward the script PSAs. Overall, our study provides insights into the effectiveness of VR and narrative formats for persuasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teleoperation under human guidance has become an effective solution to extend human's reach in various environments. However, the teleoperation system still faces challenges of insufficient sense of both visual and haptic feedback from remote environments, which results in the inadequate guidance for the operator. In this paper, a visual/haptic integrated perception and reconstruction system (VHI-PRS) is developed to provide the operator with 3D visual information and effective haptic guidance. Specifically, a visual-based telepresence augmentation method is proposed to provide the operator with virtual-reality combined visual telepresence, where the real point cloud model is directly superimposed on virtual manipulator to avoid the time-consuming process of mesh model rendering. With the utilization of visual information, a haptic-based telepresence augmentation method is proposed to provide the operator with comprehensive force feedback, including the virtual guiding force, virtual repulsive force and real-time interactive force, which greatly helps reduce the workload of operator. Finally, a user study on grab-place task is carried out to verify the effectiveness of proposed system. • The visual-based telepresence augmentation is provided to offer the real-time additional depth information. • The visual information assisted fusion haptic force is provided including the virtual guiding force, virtual repulsive force and real-time interactive force. • A Visual/haptic integrated perception and reconstruction system is proposed for the immersive telepresence, with the consideration of heterogeneous characteristics and precise control. • A user study with a grab-place task that commonly appeared in industry is implemented to verify the effectiveness of proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes and reflects on the practical workshop activity that was part of the Telepresence to Teletrust online Symposium in July 2021 hosted by Bournemouth University Experimental Media Research Centre led by Professor David Garcia. The Zoom workshops co-convened by Dr Trevor Hearing and Dr. Brad Gyori were a forum for experimentation and discussion by attendees to performatively investigate the notion of 'the third space', in the context of an emerging hybrid environment of shared online presence and performance. The theme was set out by Garcia, acknowledging the foundational conceptualisation and use of the term in other contexts previously in the work of Bhabha, Soja, Tuan and others. The workshops explored the experience of 'risk', 'liveness' and 'presence and absence' in the telepresence context and were reflected on by participants as they discovered the value of practice as a method of enquiry in this developing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article enacts a re-presencing of Telematic Dreaming, the influential telepresence art installation by Paul Sermon from the 1990s. Revisiting an often-cited text I wrote in 1994 called 'Spacemaking', which spoke from the experience of being a performer in the installation, I fill in what was missing, downplayed or unwelcome in the discourses of the time: that nobody is anybody (i.e. in technological environments bodies are never neutral or universal); and that artistic works are deeply contextual and intersectional. Taking a strongly political and contextual approach to Telematic Dreaming, I first reflect on the dual states of wonder & entitlement characterising digital experimentation of the 1990s then I consider the cultural structures and material infrastructures of the installation, assessing the scope for ontological expansiveness and gender crique they afforded. Beyond a particular instance of time-travel, this article proposes a new methodological framework for examining past performances. By turning to critical phenomenology, with contributions from feminist archaeology, media archaeology, and an unexpected appearance of Sara Ahmed's feminist killjoy, I offer an approach that paves the way for future researchers interested in engaging reflexively and critically with historical phenomenological analyses of artistic performance and of wider lived experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicated on the telephone, the history of videotelephony has continually adopted a two-way model of communication between 'newsreader' participants, confined to boxes on a screen. This article identifies philosophical approaches and practical solutions to overcome this 'horseless-carriage' syndrome using a phenomenological methodology to reframe the concept of videotelephony as a third space encounter through the author's telematic art practice. By reflecting on audience participation in the Installations Telematic Dreaming (1992) and Telematic Vision (1993) participants interact through a third-person self-image and transcend their physical vulnerabilities and self-conscious inhibitions to engage and identify through coexistence and empathy. These observations draw on analogies between Martin Heidegger's 'hammer' and the television screen, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty's 'extension of bodily synthesis' and the telepresent image of self. By drawing on these phenomenological approaches, the author's AHRC research project Telepresence Stage (2022) responded to the mass entrapment of two-way videoconference apps during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the inevitable Zoom fatigue, to provide alternative fit-for-purpose telepresence solutions for the performing arts sector. The project exposes the flaws and misconceptions of conventional videotelephony by employing open-source resources and practical green-screen techniques to embody a shared third space between remote performers, arriving at alternative telepresence solutions for future coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social integration of older adults has been shown to be vital for successful aging. Innovative communication technologies, such as telepresence robots, can protect older adults against loneliness and social isolation by helping them stay connected to their social networks. This human-centered qualitative study aims to identify the attitudes (research question 1, RQ1), intentions to use (RQ2), and requirements (RQ3) of older adults for robot-mediated communication (RMC) via a telepresence robot. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with N = 30 older adults from Germany, who evaluated storyboard illustrations depicting a fictional RMC scenario between a grandparent and their adult grandchild. The study identified 3 attitude groups towards telepresence robots among participants: positive, negative, and conflicting attitudes (RQ1). Furthermore, based on their intentions of use, participants were classified into reluctant future users (n = 12), future non-users (n = 10), and enthusiastic future users (n = 8) (RQ2). Finally, the study identified technological, social, and age-related requirements of older adults for a telepresence robot (RQ3). Practical recommendations are provided based on these findings, such as leveraging older adults' current technology-related skills, adapting technologies to older adults' lifestyles and social networks, and designing technologies that contribute to older adults aging in place. This study contributes to the human-centered design of telepresence robots that support the social integration of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaverse has garnered considerable attention in recent times. Given its swift pace of development, it is imperative to study the adoption of the metaverse. This study analyses the perceptions and drivers influencing the behavioural intention to use the metaverse among Generation Z and millennials by employing a sequential mixed‐methods approach. In the first stage of the study, in‐depth expert interviews were conducted (n = 20), and the subsequent stage featured a countrywide survey (n = 1253). The outcomes of this study indicate that perceived usefulness, personal innovativeness, perceived enjoyment, facilitating conditions, telepresence, social presence, trust, and regulatory support influence attitudes and behavioural intentions towards the metaverse. The findings also reveal a significant difference in the strength of a few relationships across age, gender, and income levels, shedding light on the crucial factors for organisations seeking to position themselves strategically among various demographic groups. This study significantly contributes to the existing knowledge on emerging optimistic and pessimistic perceptions and factors affecting the adoption of the metaverse. By harnessing these outcomes, organisations can enhance the development and promotion of metaverse experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in 3D data capture have enabled the real-time acquisition of high-resolution 3D range data, even in mobile devices. However, this type of high bit-depth data remains difficult to efficiently transmit over a standard broadband connection. The most successful techniques for tackling this data problem thus far have been image-based depth encoding schemes that leverage modern image and video codecs. To our knowledge, no published work has directly optimized the end-to-end losses of a depth encoding scheme sandwiched around a lossy image compression codec. We present N-DEPTH, a compression-resilient neural depth encoding method that leverages deep learning to efficiently encode depth maps into 24-bit RGB representations that minimize end-to-end depth reconstruction errors when compressed with JPEG. N-DEPTH's learned robustness to lossy compression expands to video codecs as well. Compared to an existing state-of-the-art encoding method, N-DEPTH achieves smaller file sizes and lower errors across a large range of compression qualities, in both image (JPEG) and video (H.264) formats. For example, reconstructions from N-DEPTH encodings stored with JPEG had dramatically lower error while still offering 29.8%-smaller file sizes. When H.264 video was used to target a 10 Mbps bit rate, N-DEPTH reconstructions had 85.1%-lower root mean square error (RMSE) and 15.3%-lower mean absolute error (MAE). Overall, our method offers an efficient and robust solution for emerging 3D streaming and 3D telepresence applications, enabling high-quality 3D depth data storage and transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is increasingly common, especially among older adults. Technology like mobile telepresence robots can help people feel less lonely. However, such technology has challenges, and even if people use it in the short term, they may not accept it in the long term. Prior work shows that it can take up to six months for people to fully accept technology. This study focuses on exploring the nuances and fluidity of acceptance phases. This paper reports a case study of four older adult participants living with a mobile telepresence robot for seven months. In monthly interviews, we explore their progress through the acceptance phases. Results reveal the complexity and fluidity of the acceptance phases. We discuss what this means for technology acceptance. In this paper, we also make coding guidelines for interviews on acceptance phases more concrete. We take early steps in moving toward a more standard interview and coding method to improve our understanding of acceptance phases and how to help potential users progress through them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reality (VR) has been widely adopted by destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to promote a destination. However, the existing literature lacks a solid theoretical foundation to interpret the phenomenon of VR experience. To address this research gap, this study aims to advance our understanding of how two distinct presences (telepresence and sense of presence) are formed and how they influence user responses after VR experience. A theoretical framework was proposed including vividness, sense of presence, telepresence, satisfaction, and intention to visit. According to the findings, two distinct presences mediate the positive relationship between vividness and satisfaction, and consequently intention. Additionally, theoretical and managerial insights are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childcare center closures during COVID-19 impacted education for approximately 40 million children nationwide. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions significantly limited the extent that outside personnel could provide in-person support to educators, resulting in the need for innovative approaches to meet childcare centers' needs. A virtual robotic telepresence approach was applied to early childhood consultation models to promote child resilience while mitigating COVID-19 risks. The goal of this study was to examine how training influenced consultants' and childcare staff uptake of the virtual robotic telepresence consultation approach and their acceptance of this technology. Methods: Ten early childhood consultants received multimedia/simulation training and weekly communities of practice related to virtual telepresence robotic consultation. Telepresence robotic consultation equipment was deployed to 16 childcare centers in a diverse multilingual metropolitan area as a part of a larger randomized controlled trial. Consultants trained childcare staff (14 center directors and 58 teachers) on how to receive virtual telepresence robotic consultation. Demographic information and measures of technology acceptability and uptake were collected from childcare staff and consultants. A mixed methods approach was used including multilevel modeling and focus groups to examine consultation uptake, acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of virtual telepresence robotic consultation implementation. Results: Consultants and childcare staff generally perceived the virtual telepresence consultation approach to be useful and easy to use. Consultant perceptions of the acceptability of technology did not change over time. Childcare staff, center, and consultant factors impacted the uptake of the virtual robotic telepresence consultation approach and childcare staff acceptance of the technology. Focus groups revealed that consultants believed that additional hands-on training with childcare staff would have benefited implementation and expressed a desire for a hybrid approach for consultation. Discussion: Perceptions of telepresence robotic consultation acceptability are discussed, including future recommendations for training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study of library and information science students' perceptions and experiences related to the use of telepresence robots (TPRs) in libraries, with a specific focus on students assuming the role of library consultants. The study explores the innovative application of TPRs, such as Double, Ohmni and Temi, within library settings. The findings of the research reveal a positive perception of TPRs, emphasising their potential for fostering innovation, increasing engagement, providing flexibility and overcoming geographical constraints. The study also identifies distinct advantages of TPRs, including remote accessibility, enhanced communication, flexibility, a personalised user experience and cost savings. However, concurrent challenges, such as limitations in nonverbal communication, pointing accuracy, connectivity issues, space requirements, costs, safety, security concerns and varying levels of user acceptance emerge as crucial areas for refinement. While the results may not be generalisable due to the limited sample size, the study underscores the transformative potential of TPRs in libraries and the necessity of addressing these challenges to optimise their application. Further research, technological advancements and user feedback can help refine and optimise the use of TPRs in libraries to provide innovative and accessible assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy is thought to be reduced in videoconference (VC) compared to face-to-face (F2F) therapy. To empirically test this possibility, therapist and client ratings of empathy and its correlates were examined in VC and F2F sessions. Forty-eight students in clinical training programs were randomly assigned to the role of 'therapist' or 'client', forming 24 dyads. Each dyad completed a simulated clinical session in F2F and in VC and reported on empathy and telepresence. Both therapist and client ratings of empathy were significantly lower in VC compared to F2F. Therapist empathy correlated with telepresence, particularly its physical subcomponent, and therapeutic presence, but these associations were not found for clients. The relationship between empathy and telepresence was investigated further in a real-world study. Twelve clients met with clinical psychology trainees over VC and reported on empathy and telepresence. The associations between therapist empathy, total telepresence, and the physical component of telepresence were replicated. Again, client ratings of empathy and telepresence did not correlate. These results provide the first empirical evidence that empathy is reduced in VC teletherapy compared to F2F and highlight the connection between the degree of empathy felt by therapists and their sense of telepresence during teletherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual tourism has great potential for the tourism industry, but physical limitations in sensory experience and the possibility of symbolic images may impact authenticity and the feeling of freedom for tourists. We conduct a study to investigate how vividness, interactivity and autonomy affect tourists' behavioral intention through the sense of presence and telepresence. Findings indicate that vividness and interactivity have a positive impact on tourists' behavioral intention by the mediation of sense of presence and telepresence. Moreover, the results further demonstrate that autonomy exerts a significant impact exclusively on the sense of presence, without affecting telepresence. This study suggests that virtual tour developers should prioritize creating high-quality intermediary experiences by enhancing sensory dimensions and human-machine interaction. Meanwhile, respecting tourists' autonomy and utilizing emerging technologies to enhance the overall enjoyment of the experience is also imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe rise of immersive retailing, which employs cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality (VR), has accelerated empirical research on consumer behavior in these new retail contexts. This research examines how VR retail experiences cause consumers’ impulsive buying through two studies to add knowledge from multiple perspectives, including the dark side of this experience. Study 1 revealed that non-immersive VR fashion stores (i.e., using desktop computer system) can elaborate on consumers’ self-imagery processing, which results in pleasure and the urge to buy. In addition, processing varied according to the level of self-relevance to the VR store; higher self-relevance activates a more elaborate self-imagery. However, Study 2, which compared non-immersive and immersive VR system (i.e., using head-mounted display and controllers) for experiencing a virtual fashion store, showed that immersive VR media system can evoke a higher level of self-imagery process of urge to buy even when self-relevance is relatively low, owing to its technological ability to facilitate high telepresence. These findings suggest that the impact of the VR store experience can be expanded to include impulsive/compulsive purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to propose an extended mean value cloning algorithm with automatic trimap generation and accurate alpha matting. This implementation improves the visualization accuracy of the merged video by reducing the discolored and smudging artefacts of the remote surgeon's boundary. It also makes the merge robust for the illumination changes by taking less processing time in real time surgery. The proposed system uses automatic trimap generation from the source video for accurate foreground extraction. Extended mean value cloning with gradient mixing is then applied for the cloning with optimized alpha matting for accurate and realistic video composition. The proposed system improved the visualization accuracy by providing almost 99.7% visibility of the pixels compared to the state-of-the-art solution, which provides 99.1% visibility of pixels. The overlay error was reduced from 0.93 mm to 0.63 mm. The processing time was also reduced. The proposed solution processed 8 frames per second, which is less time than the state-of-the-art solution, which processed 5 frames per second. The extended mean value cloning smooths the differences that presented in the target and source frames for seamless and realistic blending of pixels. The automatic trimap generation reduced the risk of false foreground selection and the generated optimal trimaps improved the alpha matte quality, which is optimized to reduce the smudging artefacts completely and to produce accurate visualization of the final merged image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]